Yoga Recipe: Highway to High lunge! Plus groovy feelings!

Back with another yoga recipe, this time it´s a variation of high lunge – a pose which is a super stretch and strength builder for the legs and great for working on balance and focus. It´s a nice stretch any time of day, grounding but opening up the legs, and getting into the groin and psoas. This particular variation is also a sneaky way of working the core and opening the front of the chest. Instructions are below!

Pre pose: Take a downward dog or few. Then step one leg forward between your hands. Don´t worry if it takes more than one step, you can also bring your back knee to the floor if it helps, and you can also use your hand to bring the foot forward. You want enough space between your front and back foot, but not so you´re grimacing and furious, so try to tune into what feels good for your body.

1) Try to ensure your front knee doesn´t bend over your front ankle. The most supportive shape for your front leg is to have the knee in line with your ankle. If the floor is feeling too far away, you may need to plonk a couple of big books under your hands. Or if you have space, come onto your fingertips.

2) Then, focus on pressing your back heel towards the wall behind you – this will help power up that back leg. Then take the crown of your head towards the wall in front of you. This will help to lengthen your upper body forward in space. Feel the outline of the entire front foot on the ground and begin to press into that shape. Keep adding more weight into the front foot, pressing down into the ground in order to lift the upper body away from the front thigh. Take your time here, and don´t worry if you wobble. You can always take your fingertips back to the floor or books if you want to back off.

3) If you feel steady enough, slowly reach your arms back behind you and turn your little fingers towards the ground. Feel that slight rotation coming from your shoulders, perhaps offering you a little more room between your collarbones.

4) Hold here, breathing for up to five full and even breaths. Then step back to downward dog and repeat the other side.

Hope you feel groovy. Speaking of groovy….(can´t promise i´ll never use that word again – soz)